Ask Phyllis: a blog series of frequently asked real estate questions. Email us here
How long does it take to get your offer accepted?
Dear Phyllis,
For nearly half of last year, we have been looking at homes and making offers on several. Every time I think I know the drill, something is different. In the summer we made offers on a couple of homes, but those sellers were not looking at offers until after the weekend open house. We quickly learned there was no need to take off from work to look at a home.
Recently, we looked at a home we really liked, and we were going to bring my dad to the open house on Sunday. It listed on a Monday and sold by Thursday. No one gave us any indication that the seller would be making a decision that quickly. It was extremely disappointing and caught us completely off guard. Are there any rules or guidelines as far as how long a home should be available before accepting an offer? In your opinion, what is typical?
Bill
Dear Bill,
What is a typical timeline for getting your offer accepted? There are no rules as far as how long a home will be on the market before an offer is accepted. Each home seller is unique and has their own needs. I recently listed a home that had a sale (foreclosure auction) in less than a month. My clients needed to sell their home fast and preferably for cash. When a cash buyer appeared with a 7-day non-contingent offer, we decided there was too much on the line to risk waiting for something better.
Most experienced real estate agents and I attempt to learn the following before writing an offer for a client:
1) Are there any offers (If so, how many? any over asking price? if so, how many?)
2) When will the agent be reviewing the offers?
3) Does the seller have any special circumstances or needs that I should be aware of? Perhaps they need a one-month rent back after closing, but this might not work for my clients, and we should know upfront.
Be patient, the perfect home and situation is out there – it’s just a matter of time before you find it.
